Japan
The House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet can be dissolved at any time by the Emperor on the advice of the Prime Minister. The 1947 Constitution specifies that Representatives serve a four-year term while the entire body stands for the election upon dissolution. However, the dissolution on 9 December 1976 is the only dissolution to this date that occurred at the end of the four-year term; all other parliaments have been dissolved prematurely. It is also important to note that the Emperor cannot deny the request for dissolution of parliament; the Constitution states that he must follow all advices of the Prime Minister.
The House of Councillors, however, cannot be dissolved. Its members serve a fixed six-year term, with half of the seats (and the position of Speaker of the Councillors) up for re-election every three years.
Read more about this topic: Dissolution Of Parliament
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“I do not know that the United States can save civilization but at least by our example we can make people think and give them the opportunity of saving themselves. The trouble is that the people of Germany, Italy and Japan are not given the privilege of thinking.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)